JP2000012505A - Method for treating substrate and treating apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To efficiently dry a surface of a rinsed substrate, even when only a small amount of organic solvent steam is fed into a sealed chamber. SOLUTION: In this method for treating a substrate, a surface of a substrate W is rinsed with pure water in a substrate treating tank 30 incorporated in a sealed chamber 20, and then, when the substrate W is pulled out of the substrate treating tank 30 while supplying isopropyl alcohol steam into the sealed chamber 20, a part for accumulating isopropyl alcohol steam is formed in a space surrounded by an annular frame 39 that is disposed above the substrate treating tank 30. Further, the substrate W is pulled out through the part for accumulating the isopropyl alcohol steam so as to dry the surface of the substrate W.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for rinsing a surface of a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer, a glass substrate for a plasma display, a glass substrate for a liquid crystal display, and a printed circuit board with a rinsing liquid, and then applying an organic solvent to the surface of the substrate. The present invention relates to a substrate processing method and apparatus for drying a surface of a substrate by condensing vapor.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, in a process of manufacturing various substrates such as a semiconductor wafer, a glass substrate for a plasma display, a glass substrate for a liquid crystal display, and a printed circuit board, a chemical is supplied into a substrate processing tank and stored therein. After the surface of the substrate is treated with the chemical solution, the rinse solution is supplied into the substrate processing tank, the chemical solution flows out and is replaced with the rinsing liquid, and the rinsing liquid is further supplied into the substrate processing tank so that the substrate is supplied. A substrate processing apparatus for rinsing the surface of a substrate is widely used.

[0003] As one type of the substrate processing apparatus, a substrate processing tank to which a chemical solution or a rinsing liquid is supplied is housed in a closed chamber, and the substrate after the rinsing process is treated with an organic solvent such as isopropyl alcohol. 2. Description of the Related Art There is known an apparatus in which a solvent vapor is pulled up from a substrate processing tank while being supplied into a closed chamber, and an organic solvent vapor is condensed on the surface of the substrate to dry the surface of the substrate.

[0004]

However, in a substrate processing apparatus in which the substrate is lifted while supplying the organic solvent vapor into the closed chamber as described above, the supply amount of the organic solvent vapor into the closed chamber is limited. If the amount is small, the organic solvent vapor is supplied to the surface of the substrate in a non-uniform state, and the drying treatment may be non-uniform. Therefore, in the above-described conventional substrate processing apparatus, since the amount of the organic solvent vapor supplied into the closed chamber is relatively increased to uniformly supply the organic solvent vapor to the substrate surface, the efficiency is not necessarily improved. It was hard to say that a good drying treatment was applied.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing method and apparatus capable of efficiently drying the surface of a substrate rinsed with a rinsing liquid with a smaller amount of organic solvent vapor. It is.

[0006]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a substrate processing method, comprising the steps of: rinsing a surface of a substrate with a rinsing liquid in a substrate processing tank housed in a closed chamber; Wherein the substrate is pulled up from the substrate processing tank while supplying an organic solvent vapor into the closed chamber, and the surface of the substrate is subjected to a drying treatment. An organic solvent vapor reservoir is formed, and the substrate is passed through the reservoir and lifted up from the substrate processing tank.

[0007] According to the above method, even when the supply amount of the organic solvent vapor into the closed chamber is small, the concentration of the organic solvent vapor above the rinsing liquid level is increased, so that the rinsed substrate is removed from the substrate processing tank. When the substrate is lifted, the surface of the substrate comes into contact with the highly concentrated organic solvent vapor, and an efficient drying process is performed.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the substrate processing method according to the first aspect, wherein the organic solvent vapor reservoir is provided with a frame above the substrate processing tank. It is characterized in that it is formed in a space surrounded by.

According to the above method, as a result of the formation of the organic solvent vapor reservoir in the space surrounded by the frame, when the rinsed substrate is pulled out of the substrate processing bath, the surface of the substrate has a low concentration. Since it comes into contact with high organic solvent vapor, efficient drying treatment is performed.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the method according to the first aspect, the reservoir of the organic solvent vapor discharges a part of the rinsing liquid in the substrate processing tank after the rinsing process. The liquid level of the rinsing liquid is made lower than the opening surface of the substrate processing tank so that the rinsing liquid is formed in a space surrounded by the upper end of the substrate processing tank.

[0011] According to the above method, a pool of the organic solvent vapor is formed in the space surrounded by the upper end of the substrate processing tank. As a result, when the rinsed substrate is lifted from the substrate processing tank, the surface of the substrate is removed. Comes into contact with the organic solvent vapor having a high concentration, and an efficient drying treatment is performed.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the substrate processing method according to the first aspect, wherein the substrate processing tank is integrally formed with a drainage tank for receiving a rinse liquid overflowing from an opening surface on an outer periphery thereof. Wherein the reservoir for the organic solvent vapor is surrounded by the upper end of the drainage tank by configuring the drainage tank so that its opening surface is higher than the opening surface of the substrate processing tank. It is characterized in that it is formed in a space.

[0013] According to the above method, a pool of the organic solvent vapor is formed in the space surrounded by the upper end of the drainage tank. As a result, when the rinsed substrate is pulled up from the substrate processing tank, the surface of the substrate is removed. Comes into contact with the organic solvent vapor having a high concentration, and an efficient drying treatment is performed.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a substrate processing apparatus, wherein a substrate processing tank for rinsing a surface of a substrate with a rinsing liquid is housed in a closed chamber, and the substrate after the rinsing process is placed in the closed chamber. The substrate surface is dried by supplying the organic solvent vapor to the substrate processing bath, and drying the surface of the substrate at least when the substrate is lifted from the substrate processing bath. A vapor reservoir forming means for forming a reservoir for organic solvent vapor above the rinse liquid level is provided.

According to the above configuration, even when the supply amount of the organic solvent vapor into the closed chamber is small, the concentration of the organic solvent vapor above the rinsing liquid level is increased by the vapor reservoir forming means. When the substrate is lifted out of the substrate processing bath, the surface of the substrate comes into contact with the organic solvent vapor having a high concentration, and an efficient drying process is performed.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the substrate processing apparatus according to the fifth aspect, the vapor reservoir forming means includes:
It is a ring-shaped frame disposed above the substrate processing tank.

According to the above configuration, as a result of the formation of the reservoir of the organic solvent vapor in the space surrounded by the annular frame, the surface of the rinsed substrate is lifted up from the substrate processing bath. It comes into contact with the organic solvent vapor having a high concentration, and an efficient drying treatment is performed.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the substrate processing apparatus according to the fifth aspect, the vapor reservoir forming means includes:
After the rinsing process, a part of the rinsing liquid in the substrate processing tank is discharged to lower the liquid level of the rinsing liquid below the opening surface of the substrate processing tank, so that the rinsing liquid enters the space surrounded by the upper end of the substrate processing tank. It is characterized by forming a reservoir for the organic solvent vapor.

According to the above arrangement, a reservoir for the organic solvent vapor is formed in the space surrounded by the upper end of the substrate processing tank, and as a result, when the rinsed substrate is pulled out of the substrate processing tank, the surface of the substrate is removed. Comes into contact with the organic solvent vapor having a high concentration, and an efficient drying treatment is performed.

The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 8 is the apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the substrate processing tank is integrally formed with a drainage tank for receiving a rinsing liquid overflowing from an opening surface on an outer periphery thereof. Wherein the vapor reservoir forming means is configured such that an opening surface of the drainage tank is higher than an opening surface of the substrate processing tank so that a space surrounded by an upper end of the drainage tank is formed. In which a reservoir for the organic solvent vapor is formed.

According to the above arrangement, the organic solvent vapor reservoir is formed in the space surrounded by the upper end of the drainage tank. As a result, when the rinsed substrate is pulled out of the substrate processing tank, the surface of the substrate is removed. Comes into contact with the organic solvent vapor having a high concentration, and an efficient drying treatment is performed.

[0022]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a substrate processing apparatus in which a substrate processing method according to a first embodiment of the present invention is performed. In this figure, a substrate processing apparatus 10
Is a closed chamber 20, a substrate processing tank 30 disposed at a lower position in the closed chamber 20 and performing a chemical solution treatment and a rinsing process on a substrate W such as a semiconductor wafer, a rising position indicated by a two-dot chain line, and a solid line. A lifter 31 which moves up and down between the lower positions shown by the arrows and transports the substrate into and out of the substrate processing bath 30, a chemical solution supply unit 40 which supplies a chemical solution into the substrate processing bath 30, and a rinsing liquid in the substrate processing bath 30 The closed chamber 20 includes a pure water supply unit 50 for supplying pure water, an organic solvent vapor supply unit 60 for supplying organic solvent vapor to the closed chamber 20, and a decompression unit 70 for reducing the pressure in the closed chamber 20.

The closed chamber 20 has an opening 2 at its upper part.
1 is formed, and a vertically movable and slidable lid 22 that covers the opening 21 in a hermetically sealed manner is provided. The lid 21 is raised and lowered and slid to open the opening 21 so that the opening 21 is opened. A substrate W such as a semiconductor wafer is carried in and out of the opening 21. The lid 22
Is automatically opened and closed by an opening / closing mechanism (not shown).

A vapor supply pipe 23 for supplying the organic solvent vapor supplied from the organic solvent vapor supply section 60 into the closed chamber 20 is provided in an upper portion of the closed chamber 20. The steam supply pipe 23 is formed of a tubular member extending in a direction perpendicular to the plane of FIG. 1 and has a plurality of holes arranged in a direction perpendicular to the plane of FIG. These holes are opened toward the substrate processing tank 30 so that the organic solvent vapor is supplied to the lower part of the closed chamber 20, preferably to the liquid level in the lower substrate processing tank 30. A drain pipe 25 provided with a first solenoid valve 24 is connected to the bottom side of the closed chamber 20. The drain pipe 25 is connected to the bottom of the closed chamber 20 to remove the chemical solution discharged from the bottom of the closed chamber 20 and pure water after rinsing. It is designed to be discharged outside.

The substrate processing tank 30 has a rectangular opening 301 at the top, and the plurality of substrates W are loaded into and unloaded from the substrate processing tank 30 by lifting and lowering the lifter 31 holding the plurality of substrates W. Is done. Note that the lifter 31 corresponds to 2 in FIG.
At the ascending position indicated by the dashed line, a plurality of substrates W themselves are exchanged with a transfer robot (not shown).

A processing liquid supply nozzle 302 is provided at the bottom of the substrate processing tank 30, and the processing liquid is supplied from the processing liquid supply nozzle 302 into the substrate processing tank 30.
The processing liquid supply nozzle 302 is connected to a processing liquid supply pipe 33 which also serves as a supply path for a chemical solution and pure water, and the processing liquid supply pipe 33 has a first drain provided with a second solenoid valve 34. Liquid tube 3
5 and a second drain pipe 37 having a third solenoid valve 36 are connected. The first drain pipe 35 once discharges the chemical or pure water in the substrate processing tank 30 into the closed chamber 20, and the second drain pipe 37 directly discharges the chemical or pure water in the substrate processing tank 30. Is discharged outside the apparatus.

A drainage tank 38 having an opening 381 for receiving a chemical solution or pure water overflowing from the opening 301 is formed integrally with the upper periphery of the substrate processing tank 30. The chemical and pure water discharged into the drainage tank 38 are discharged into the closed chamber 20 via a discharge pipe 382 connected to the bottom.

A rectangular frame 3 having the same size as the opening 301 of the substrate processing tank 30 is provided above the substrate processing tank 30.
9 is disposed so as to form a gap between the substrate processing tank 30 and the substrate processing tank 30 that does not interfere with overflow of the chemical solution or pure water. The frame 39 is detachably attached to a wall surface of the closed chamber 20 by a support (not shown) projecting horizontally from an outer peripheral surface thereof, for example. Further, as will be described later, the frame 39 constitutes a vapor reservoir forming means for forming a reservoir S (FIG. 4) for the organic solvent vapor above the rinse liquid level of the substrate processing tank 30. The dimension L in the direction is preferably formed to be long within a range that does not hinder the transfer of the substrate W into and out of the substrate processing tank 30.

In the present embodiment, the chemical solution supply unit 40 supplies the hydrofluoric acid (HF) stored in a chemical solution container (not shown) to the substrate processing tank 30 through a chemical solution supply pipe 41 by a pressure pump.
A flow meter 42, a flow control valve 43, and a fourth solenoid valve 44 are sequentially arranged in the chemical supply pipe 41 from the upstream side to the downstream side. The flow rate control valve 43 controls the flow rate of the chemical solution pumped through the chemical solution supply pipe 41. When supplying hydrofluoric acid into the substrate processing tank 30, pure water is supplied from the pure water supply unit 50 at the same time.
0 will be supplied.

The pure water supply unit 50 supplies pure water from a pure water supply source (not shown) into the substrate processing tank 30 via a pure water supply pipe 51 by a pressure pump. Flow control regulator 52, flow meter 53 and fifth solenoid valve 5
4 are provided. The flow rate regulator 52 controls the flow rate of pure water pumped through the pure water supply pipe 51.

In the present embodiment, the organic solvent vapor supply section 60 supplies vapor of isopropyl alcohol (hereinafter referred to as “IPA”) to the closed chamber 20 through a vapor supply pipe 61.
The steam supply pipe 61 has one end connected to a nitrogen (N2) gas supply source (not shown) and the other end connected to the steam supply pipe 23 in the closed chamber 20.

The steam supply pipe 61 is provided with a first supply pipe 611 for supplying IPA vapor into the closed chamber 20.
And a second supply pipe 612 for supplying only the nitrogen gas into the closed chamber 20. The first supply pipe 611 is provided with a steam generator 62 having a heater 621 therein, and a sixth electromagnetic valve 63 and a seventh electromagnetic valve 64 on both sides thereof. . The eighth supply valve 612 is provided with an eighth solenoid valve 65.

As a result, the sixth and seventh solenoid valves 63, 6
When the fourth solenoid valve 65 is opened and the eighth solenoid valve 65 is closed, the IPA steam generated by the steam generator 62 is supplied into the closed chamber 20 using nitrogen gas as a carrier gas, and the sixth and seventh solenoid valves 63, When the eighth solenoid valve 65 is opened while the 64 is closed, only the nitrogen gas is supplied into the closed chamber 20. A heater is provided on the outer periphery of the steam supply pipe 61 over substantially the entire length thereof, and when the IPA steam and the nitrogen gas are supplied into the closed chamber 20, the steam supply pipe 61 is provided.
Is to be heated.

The decompression unit 70 is adapted to decompress the inside of the closed chamber 20 through a decompression tube 71.
Is connected to the vacuum pump 72, the other end is connected to the closed chamber 20, and a three-way valve 73 is provided at an intermediate portion. An exhaust pipe 74 is connected to the three-way valve 73. Thereby, in accordance with the switching of the three-way valve 73, the state is switched between a state in which the vacuum pump 72 is connected to the closed chamber 20 to reduce the pressure inside the closed chamber 20 and a state in which the inside of the closed chamber 20 is opened to the atmosphere via the exhaust pipe 74. It is supposed to be.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a control system of the substrate processing apparatus 10. The control unit 80 includes a CPU 81 for performing predetermined arithmetic processing, a ROM 82 storing a predetermined processing program, and processing data. And temporarily controls the overall operation of the substrate processing apparatus 10 according to the predetermined processing program.

That is, when a start signal is input from the start switch SW, the control unit 80 sets the first solenoid valve 24, the second solenoid valve 34, the third solenoid valve 36, the fourth solenoid valve 44, Fifth solenoid valve 54, sixth solenoid valve 63, seventh solenoid valve
Solenoid valve 64, eighth solenoid valve 65, lifter 31, flow control valve 43, flow control regulator 52, vacuum pump 7
The two- and three-way valves 73 and the heater 621 are controlled. Note that a predetermined signal is also input to the control unit 80 from a sensor or the like, but is not illustrated.

Next, an example of the processing operation of the substrate processing apparatus 10 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

First, when the start switch SW is turned on while the lifter 31 is set at the upper position in the closed chamber 20, the fifth solenoid valve 54 of the pure water supply unit 50 is opened and the substrate processing tank 30 is opened. Pure water is supplied to the inside (step S1). The pure water overflowing from the opening 301 is discharged to the bottom in the closed chamber 20 via the discharge pipe 382 of the drain tank 38, while the first solenoid valve 24 is opened to disconnect the drain pipe 25. Through the device.

Thereafter, the plurality of substrates W are carried into the substrate processing tank 30 in a state where the opening 21 of the closed chamber 20 is opened and the pure water overflows from the substrate processing tank 30. The loading into the substrate processing tank 30 is as follows. First, the lifter 31 is raised to the raised position, and receives a plurality of substrates W from a transfer robot (not shown). Then, the plurality of substrates W are carried into the substrate processing tank 30 by lowering the lifter 31 to the lowering position. After this, the opening 2
1 is closed. Thus, the plurality of substrates W are subjected to a rinsing process with pure water before the chemical solution process (step S).
2), contaminants adhering to the surface of the substrate W are removed. At this time, the eighth solenoid valve 65 of the organic solvent vapor supply section 60 is opened, and nitrogen gas has already been supplied into the closed chamber 20, and the inside of the closed chamber 20 is filled with nitrogen gas. I have.

When the rinsing process is performed on the substrate W for a certain period of time, the fourth electromagnetic valve 4
4 is opened, hydrofluoric acid is supplied into the substrate processing tank 30, and the surface of the substrate W is subjected to a chemical treatment (step S3). At this time, the flow rate of the hydrofluoric acid is adjusted by the flow rate adjusting valve 43 so that the substrate processing tank 3
The concentration of the chemical supplied to 0 is adjusted to a predetermined concentration. The chemical is continuously supplied into the substrate processing tank 30 for a certain period of time, and the overflowed chemical is discharged to the outside of the apparatus via the drain pipe 382 and the drain pipe 25.

When the chemical processing is completed, the fourth solenoid valve 44 is closed to stop the supply of the chemical (step S4), while the pure water increased by the flow rate regulator 52 is supplied into the substrate processing tank 30. And a rinsing process is performed on the substrate W (step S5). When the pure water is supplied for a fixed time and the rinsing process is completed, the eighth solenoid valve 65 of the organic solvent vapor supply unit 60 is closed to stop the supply of the nitrogen gas, while the sixth and seventh solenoid valves are stopped. 63,
The IPA vapor generated by energizing the heater 621 of the vapor generator 62 is supplied into the closed chamber 20 (step S6). The IPA vapor supplied into the closed chamber 20 is supplied from the vapor supply pipe 23 toward the lower side of the closed chamber 20.
The density in the space surrounded by the upper frame 39 is higher than in other places.

That is, as schematically shown in FIG. 4, the IPA vapor discharged from the vapor supply pipe 23 collides with the liquid surface (pure water surface) R of the substrate processing tank 30. When the frame 39 does not exist, the IPA vapor colliding with the liquid surface R is dispersed to the side of the liquid surface R as indicated by a dashed line, but when the frame 39 exists as in the present embodiment. As shown by the solid line, the dispersion to the liquid surface R side is suppressed on the inner peripheral surface of the frame body 39, and the residence time above the liquid surface R in the substrate processing tank 30 becomes longer. Therefore, a pool S of the IPA vapor is formed in the space surrounded by the frame 39,
The concentration of the IPA vapor in the space surrounded by is increased.

The substrate W after the rinsing process is
As described above, the lifter 31 rises while the IPA vapor is being supplied, is taken out of the substrate processing tank 30, passes through the IPA vapor reservoir S, and the lower end of the substrate is in the substrate processing tank 30. It is raised until it is above the liquid level (step S7).

At this time, the highly concentrated IPA vapor
Is condensed on the surface of the substrate W to become a liquid IPA, mixed with the pure water adhering to the surface, and dropped as droplets. As a result, the pure water is efficiently removed from the surface of the substrate W. Further, since the substrate W is pulled up in a state where the pure water overflows from the substrate processing tank 30, the contaminants floating on the pure water surface flow in a direction away from the substrate W. Therefore, the contaminants hardly adhere to the substrate W.

Next, the fifth solenoid valve 54 is closed, and the supply of pure water into the substrate processing tank 30 is stopped (step S8). Then, while the sixth and seventh electromagnetic valves 63 and 64 are closed to stop the supply of the IPA vapor, the eighth electromagnetic valve 65 is opened and the nitrogen gas is supplied into the closed chamber 20 (step). S9). In this state, the substrate processing tank 3
The second and third solenoid valves 34 and 35 of the zero are opened, and the pure water after the rinsing process in the substrate processing tank 30 is rapidly discharged to the outside (step S10).

After the discharge of the pure water in the substrate processing tank 30 is completed, the first, second, and third solenoid valves 24, 34, 3
5 is closed, and the three-way valve 73 of the
The vacuum pump 72 is operated in the state switched to the second side to reduce the pressure in the closed chamber 20 (step S1).
1). Thereby, the rinsing liquid or the liquid IPA remaining on the surface of the substrate W evaporates, and the surface of the substrate W is dried.

When the pressure is reduced for a predetermined time, the operation of the vacuum pump 72 is stopped, and the three-way valve 73 is switched to the exhaust pipe 74 to open the closed chamber 20 to the atmosphere (step S12). . Thereafter, the opening 21 of the closed chamber 20 is opened, the lifter 31 is raised to the raised position, and the substrate W is carried out by transferring a plurality of substrates W to a transfer robot (not shown). Thus, a series of processing operations on the substrate W ends.

According to the substrate processing method and the substrate processing apparatus 10 described above, when the substrate W having been rinsed with pure water is lifted out of the substrate processing tank 30 while supplying IPA vapor into the closed chamber 20, An IPA vapor reservoir S is formed above the liquid level R in the substrate processing tank 30 by the frame body 39 disposed above the substrate processing tank 30, and the substrate W is passed through the reservoir S. Therefore, even when the supply amount of the IPA vapor into the closed chamber 20 is reduced, the surface of the substrate W comes into contact with the IPA vapor having a high concentration, so that an efficient drying process can be performed. In addition, the pool S of the IPA vapor can be formed with a simple configuration, and since a complicated member or the like is not required, the apparatus does not increase in size and is advantageous in cost.

In the above-described embodiment, the frame 39 is formed to have the same size as the opening 301 of the substrate processing tank 30, but the opening 301 is formed within a range that does not hinder the passage of the substrate W.
The opening 301 can be formed smaller than the opening 301.

FIG. 5 is a view showing a schematic configuration of a substrate processing apparatus in which a substrate processing method according to a second embodiment of the present invention is performed, and FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a processing operation of the substrate processing apparatus. It is.

That is, in the substrate processing apparatus 100 according to the second embodiment, in the substrate processing apparatus 10 according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. The liquid surface (pure water surface) R after the rinsing process in the substrate processing bath 30 is made lower than the opening surface 302 of the substrate processing bath 30, whereas the substrate 39 is formed by disposing the body 39. Only in that
The other configuration is basically the same including the control system of FIG. The processing operation is basically the same except that the liquid level after the rinsing processing is lowered. Therefore,
The same components are given the same reference numbers,
The same step numbers are given to the same processing operations, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

That is, in the substrate processing apparatus 100, FIG.
As shown in the flowchart, after the rinsing process on the surface of the substrate W is completed and the supply of pure water is stopped, in step S6 ', the second electromagnetic valve 34 is opened for a predetermined time to thereby release the substrate processing tank. Only a part of the pure water in the substrate processing tank 30 is discharged, and the liquid level R in the substrate processing tank 30 is lower than the opening surface 303. Of course, the substrate processing tank 30
The operation of discharging only a part of the pure water in
It is executed based on the processing program stored in M82 (FIG. 2). Thereby, at the upper end of the substrate processing tank 30,
A space similar to that formed by the frame 39 of the substrate processing apparatus 10 is formed.

The substrate processing apparatus 100 configured as described above
When the IPA vapor is supplied in step S7 shown in the flowchart of FIG. 6, the IPA vapor is discharged from the vapor supply pipe 23 to reach the liquid level (pure water level) R of the substrate processing tank 30, as schematically shown in FIG. The impinging IPA vapor is supplied to the substrate processing tank 3
0, the dispersion on the liquid surface side is suppressed on the inner surface at the upper end, and the residence time above the liquid surface in the substrate processing tank 30 becomes longer. As a result, the IPA vapor The pool S is formed. Then, in step S8, the substrate W after the rinsing process passes through the IPA vapor reservoir S and is pulled up until the lower end thereof is higher than the liquid level of the substrate processing bath 30. From which pure water is removed. In the second embodiment, the vapor reservoir forming means includes a control unit 80 that performs an operation of discharging a part of pure water after the rinsing process, and an upper end of the substrate processing tank 30 from which a part of the pure water is discharged. And a part.

According to the substrate processing apparatus 100 described above, when the substrate W having been rinsed with pure water is lifted from the substrate processing tank 30 while supplying IPA vapor, the pure water in the substrate processing tank 30 is removed. By discharging a part of the liquid and making the liquid level R lower than the opening surface 303 of the substrate processing tank 30, the IPA vapor reservoir S
Is formed, and the substrate W is made to pass through the reservoir S. Therefore, even when the supply amount of the IPA vapor into the closed chamber 20 is reduced, the surface of the substrate W contacts the highly concentrated IPA vapor. As a result, an efficient drying process can be performed. In addition, the pool S of the IPA vapor can be formed with a simple configuration, and since a complicated member or the like is not required, the apparatus does not increase in size and is advantageous in cost.

FIG. 8 is a view showing a schematic configuration of a substrate processing apparatus in which a substrate processing method according to a third embodiment of the present invention is performed. That is, in the substrate processing apparatus 120 according to the third embodiment, the IPA vapor reservoir S is provided in the substrate processing tank 3 in the substrate processing apparatus 10 according to the first embodiment shown in FIG.
In contrast to the case where the frame 39 is provided above the zero, the opening surface 383 of the drainage tank 38 is made higher than the opening surface 303 of the substrate processing tank 30, only in that it is formed. The configuration is different, and the other configuration is basically the same including the control system of FIG. Therefore, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

That is, in the substrate processing apparatus 120, the opening 383 of the drainage tank 38 is replaced with the opening 303 of the substrate processing tank 30.
By setting the height higher than that, a space similar to that formed by the frame 39 of the substrate processing apparatus 10 is formed at the upper end of the drainage tank 38. For this reason, as schematically shown in FIG.
Vapor that has collided with the liquid surface (pure water surface) R of the
As a result, the dispersion on the side of the liquid surface R is suppressed on the inner surface at the upper end of the nozzle 8 and the residence time above the liquid surface R in the substrate processing tank 30 becomes longer. A pool S of the IPA vapor is formed. Then, the substrate W after the rinsing process passes through the IPA vapor reservoir S and is pulled up until the lower end thereof is higher than the liquid level of the substrate processing tank 30, and pure water is removed from the surface of the substrate W. Will be done. In the third embodiment, the vapor reservoir forming means is formed at the upper end portion of the drainage tank 38 located above the opening surface 303 of the substrate processing tank 30.

According to the substrate processing apparatus 120 described above, when the substrate W having been rinsed with pure water is lifted from the substrate processing tank 30 while supplying IPA vapor, the drainage tank 38 has its opening surface 383. Is formed above the opening surface 303 of the substrate processing tank 30 so that I
A reservoir S for PA vapor is formed, and the substrate W is made to pass through the reservoir S.
Even if the supply amount of IPA vapor into the inside is reduced, the substrate W
Will come into contact with the highly concentrated IPA vapor,
An efficient drying process can be performed. In addition, the pool S of the IPA vapor can be formed with a simple configuration, and since a complicated member or the like is not required, the apparatus does not increase in size and is advantageous in cost.

In each of the above embodiments, IPA is used as the organic solvent. However, other organic solvents can be appropriately selected and used according to the type of the substrate W to be processed. .

In each of the above embodiments, pure water is used as the rinsing liquid. However, the rinsing liquid is not limited to pure water, but may include ozone in pure water. It may be. In addition, various changes can be made to the configuration of the details.

[0060]

As described above, according to the substrate processing method of the first aspect, a reservoir for the organic solvent vapor is formed above the rinse liquid level in the substrate processing tank, and the substrate is passed through the reservoir. Since the substrate is lifted up from the substrate processing tank, the surface of the substrate can be efficiently dried even when the supply amount of the organic solvent vapor into the closed chamber is small.

According to the substrate processing method of the second aspect,
Since the organic solvent vapor reservoir is formed in a space surrounded by the frame formed by disposing an annular frame above the substrate processing tank, a simple constituent member is provided. By simply disposing the substrate, the surface of the substrate can be efficiently dried.

Further, according to the substrate processing method of claim 3,
The upper part of the substrate processing bath is formed by discharging a part of the rinsing liquid in the substrate processing bath after the rinsing process, so that the liquid level of the rinsing liquid is lower than the opening surface of the substrate processing bath. Since it is formed in a space surrounded by a circle, no separate member is required, so that the apparatus does not increase in size and is advantageous in cost.

According to the substrate processing method of the fourth aspect,
The reservoir for the organic solvent vapor is formed in a space surrounded by the upper end of the drainage tank by configuring the opening surface of the drainage tank to be higher than the opening surface of the substrate processing tank. Since there is no need for a special separate member, the apparatus does not increase in size and is advantageous in terms of cost.

Further, according to the substrate processing apparatus of claim 5,
Since at least the substrate is lifted out of the substrate processing bath, a vapor reservoir forming means for forming a reservoir for the organic solvent vapor above the rinsing liquid level in the substrate processing bath is provided, so that the supply amount of the organic solvent vapor into the closed chamber is provided. Even when the amount is small, the surface of the substrate can be efficiently dried.

According to the substrate processing apparatus of the sixth aspect,
Since the vapor reservoir forming means is an annular frame disposed above the substrate processing tank, the surface of the substrate can be efficiently dried only by disposing simple components.

Further, according to the substrate processing apparatus of claim 7,
The vapor reservoir forming means discharges a part of the rinsing liquid in the substrate processing tank after the rinsing processing, and makes the liquid level of the rinsing liquid lower than the opening surface of the substrate processing tank, thereby forming the upper end of the substrate processing tank. Since the reservoir for the organic solvent vapor is formed in a space surrounded by a circle, no separate member is required, so that the apparatus does not increase in size and is advantageous in cost.

Further, according to the substrate processing apparatus of claim 8,
The vapor reservoir forming means configures the drainage tank such that an opening surface thereof is higher than an opening surface of the substrate processing tank, thereby forming the organic solvent vapor in a space surrounded by an upper end of the drainage tank. Since the reservoir portion is formed, no special member is required, so that the apparatus does not increase in size and is advantageous in cost.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a substrate processing apparatus in which a substrate processing method according to a first embodiment of the present invention is performed.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a control system of the substrate processing apparatus shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the substrate processing apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a view for explaining a mode of forming a reservoir for an organic solvent vapor in the substrate processing apparatus shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a substrate processing apparatus in which a substrate processing method according to a second embodiment of the present invention is performed.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the substrate processing apparatus shown in FIG.

FIG. 7 is a view for explaining a formation mode of a reservoir for an organic solvent vapor in the substrate processing apparatus shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a substrate processing apparatus in which a substrate processing method according to a third embodiment of the present invention is performed.

FIG. 9 is a view for explaining an embodiment of forming a reservoir for an organic solvent vapor in the substrate processing apparatus shown in FIG. 8;

[Explanation of symbols]

 10, 100, 120 Substrate processing apparatus 20 Closed chamber 30 Substrate processing tank 38 Drain tank 39 Frame 40 Chemical liquid supply section 50 Pure water supply section 60 Organic solvent vapor supply section 70 Decompression section 80 Control section 303 Opening surface of substrate processing tank 382 Opening surface of drainage tank S Organic solvent vapor reservoir W Substrate

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on front page F term (reference) 3L113 AC08 AC24 AC28 AC45 AC46 AC50 AC54 AC57 AC63 AC67 AC75 AC76 AC79 AC90 BA34 CA11 CA12 DA02 DA06 DA13 DA14

Claims (8)

[Claims] After rinsing the surface of a substrate with a rinsing liquid in a substrate processing tank housed in a closed chamber, the substrate is lifted from the substrate processing tank while supplying an organic solvent vapor into the closed chamber. A substrate processing method of drying the surface of the substrate by drying the organic solvent vapor above the rinse liquid level in the substrate processing bath, and passing the substrate through the pool. Characteristic substrate processing method. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the reservoir for the organic solvent vapor is formed in a space surrounded by the frame by disposing a frame above the substrate processing bath. The substrate processing method according to claim 1. 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the collecting part of the organic solvent vapor discharges a part of the rinsing liquid in the substrate processing tank after the rinsing processing so that the liquid level of the rinsing liquid is lower than the opening surface of the substrate processing tank. 2. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, wherein the substrate is formed in a space surrounded by an upper end of the substrate processing tank. 4. The substrate processing tank has an outer periphery integrally formed with a drainage tank for receiving a rinsing liquid overflowing from an opening surface, and the organic solvent vapor reservoir is provided with the drainage tank. 2. The structure according to claim 1, wherein the opening is formed to be higher than the opening of the substrate processing tank so as to be formed in a space surrounded by an upper end of the drainage tank. Substrate processing method. 5. A substrate processing tank for rinsing the surface of the substrate with a rinsing liquid is housed in a closed chamber, and the substrate after the rinsing is supplied to the closed chamber while supplying an organic solvent vapor to the substrate. A substrate processing apparatus configured to dry a surface of the substrate by lifting the substrate from a processing bath, wherein at least when the substrate is lifted from the substrate processing bath, an organic solvent vapor is provided above a rinse liquid level in the substrate processing bath. A substrate processing apparatus, comprising: a steam reservoir forming means for forming a reservoir portion. 6. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said vapor reservoir forming means is an annular frame disposed above said substrate processing tank. 7. The vapor pool forming means discharges a part of the rinsing liquid in the substrate processing tank after the rinsing processing to lower the level of the rinsing liquid to an opening surface of the substrate processing tank. 6. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein a reservoir for the organic solvent vapor is formed in a space surrounded by an upper end of the substrate processing tank. 8. The substrate processing tank is formed integrally with a drainage tank for receiving a rinse liquid overflowing from an opening surface on an outer periphery of the substrate processing tank. By forming the opening surface to be higher than the opening surface of the substrate processing tank, the organic solvent vapor reservoir is formed in a space surrounded by the upper end of the drainage tank. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein